What Is the Acer Identity Card?

by Shea Laverty

The Acer Identity Card is a lightweight application preinstalled on Acer personal computers. The Identity Card app is just that, a summary of important identification information for your computer that serves much like an identity card you'd carry in your wallet. The Identity Card App is used exclusively by Acer and is installed as part of the company's specially tuned Windows shell.

Contained Information

The Identity Card contains several pieces of information regarding your computer. This includes the computer's serial number, model name, date of original purchase and part number. The Identity Card also stores information regarding what version of Windows you have installed, although it retains no personal information about you as the computer's owner.

Uses

The primary use of the Identity Card app is to assist Acer technical support while diagnosing and repairing issues. With the information stored on the Identity Card app, they can more easily access your computer for remote support and check for reported issues with machines from your computer's model line or production batch. The serial number and other information can also be matched in case your computer is stolen, although for this use to be practical you need to have a copy stored elsewhere. You can also use the number to assist in ordering replacement parts through Acer, without worrying about purchasing a part for another computer.

Necessity

While a valuable asset, the Identity Card is not an absolute necessity for your Acer computer to run. This software is secondary, installed on a manufacturer level to assist in service and repair. It is not required to run Windows 7 or 8, nor is it vital to the computer's operation. The information it presents can also be found elsewhere on the computer physically and in its device management system. It is, however, a very convenient means to gain this information and by no means resource-intensive.

Removal

Removal of the Identity Card is as easy as removing most programs, should you decide you no longer require or want it. Open up the Power User menu by pressing "Windows-X" and select "Control Panel" from the menu. Select "Programs" followed by "Programs and Features." This will open a list of programs installed on the computer. Locate "Acer Identity Card" from the list, select it and click "Uninstall/Change." This will begin the uninstall process -- follow all onscreen instructions to remove the Identity Card from your computer. Remember, the Identity Card is a convenient way to access information about your computer -- only remove it if you are certain you will have no use for it or find it is adversely affecting performance.